Getting dirty on the Emerald Coast

Locating and recovering that treasure!

OK, so we’ve found a target that sounded promising, gave us a good indication on the display of our detector, and we used the pinpoint feature on our detector to mark approximately where the target is in the ground just like in the video by mowerdog in the previous post. Then we cut our plug following pondguru’s general method. So now we have a flap of soil – our “plug” – folded back on itself and a hole that it came out of. We still don’t know if the target is in the plug or the hole, and that’s where our handheld pinpointer comes into play…

Now, there’s probably a dozen pinpointers on the market and most are generally equal, but some few are not nearly as good yet they still do a decent job, or at least they’re better than having NO pinpointer at all.

My first pinpointer was a Cen-Tech unit from Harbor Freight and for the amount of dirt fishin’ that I did when I got it, it served me very well. I still have it, and it will be a back-up/loaner in case someone wants to go detecting with me and try out the hobby who doesn’t have any equipment yet. A lot of folks into detecting will look down their noses at you for having one but it costs ONE TENTH as much as the other pinpointers on the market. If you are on a budget, the Cen-Tech would be a reasonable starter pinpointer at less than $20.00.

Some other choices would be:

The Bounty Hunter

The Vibra Probes

White’s Bullseye II

Detector Pro Pistol Probe

And then the top 3 in my book and the only 3 that I considered when I decided to get a top-of-the-line pinpointer. The first one, from Garrett, the Propointer, secondly, from White’s, the TRX and last but certainly first in my book, from Minelab, the Pro-Find 25. I settled on the Minelab unit for several reasons that I won’t get into here, after a lot of research it was my personal choice and that’s what you’ll need to do, research it and make a personal choice. All 3 units are good, they have strengths and weaknesses in different areas and that’s where the choice comes in. Decide what strengths you need and what weaknesses you can live with,

Garrett Propointer

White’s TRX

Minelab Pro-Find 25

You take out your pinpointer, turn it on and check the plug first, running the probe on the pinpointer all over the plug slowly, some pinpointers are sensitive all along the front shaft and some are only sensitive on the very tip, your style of scanning the plug will be determined by your pinpointer. If you don’t get an indication from your pinpointer on the plug, then next we’ll scan the hole. If you still don’t get an indication, most likely your target is deeper in the hole. Take your detector and pinpoint with it again to see if you are showing the target in the hole or in the plug. If it’s showing in the plug, knock some dirt off and rescan with the pinpointer. Your target should show up eventually although you may need to cut down the plug a time or two. If it’s still in the hole then CAREFULLY remove some more dirt and rescan the hole with your pinpointer.

Here’s a short video demonstrating the pinpointer and target recovery…

So, hopefully this will help you get out there and buy a detector, and the gear you need to start detecting, swinging and finding all kinds of neat stuff in the ground. Just remember to get permission before going onto private property, check local laws for public places in your area and above all, follow the Detectorists’ Code Of Ethics.

The Metal Detectorist’s Code Of Ethics
#1 – I will respect private property and will not metal detect without the property owner’s permission.
#2 – I will not destroy property, buildings or what is left of ghost towns and deserted structures.
#3 – I will not litter, always pack out what I take in and remove all trash found.
#4 – I will leave all gates and other accesses to land as found.
#5 – I will not damage natural resources, wildlife habitats, or any private property.
#6 – I will use thoughtfulness, consideration and courtesy at all times.
#7 – I will abide by all laws, ordinances or regulations that may govern my search, or the area I will be in.
#8 – I will fill all holes, and never dig in a way that will damage, be damaging to, or kill any vegetation.
#9 – I will report the discovery of items of historical value to a local historian in accordance with the latest legislation.